Wandsworth Council's Greener Wandsworth Microgrants pay £100 to £500 for local green projects. First deadline Friday 27 November; who can apply and how.
Anyone who lives or works in Wandsworth can now apply for between £100 and £500 to start or grow a green project in their neighbourhood, and the first deadline is Friday 27 November. The council announced the Greener Wandsworth Microgrants this morning.
Individuals, community groups, faith groups, schools and non-profit organisations can all apply, and the project does not have to be new: something already running qualifies, as long as it does at least one of five things, according to the council:
- greening and improving community spaces
- supporting biodiversity and local nature conservation
- building community resilience to flooding, heatwaves, drought and storms
- encouraging repair, reuse, upcycling and waste reduction
- providing community environmental education and engagement
The deadlines
The council’s microgrants page, updated on 21 October, says community applications are assessed every other month and that around six grants are awarded each time. Schools have their own pot, assessed each term, but use the same form.
| Community round deadline | Decision |
|---|---|
| Friday 27 November 2026 | Week beginning 14 December 2026 |
| Friday 29 January 2027 | Week beginning 15 February 2027 |
| Friday 26 March 2027 | Week beginning 12 April 2027 |
| Friday 28 May 2027 | Week beginning 14 June 2027 |
| Schools round deadline | Decision |
|---|---|
| Friday 27 November 2026 | Week beginning 14 December 2026 |
| Friday 12 February 2027 | Week beginning 1 March 2027 |
| Friday 28 May 2027 | Week beginning 14 June 2027 |
The council’s release says further funding rounds will open in 2027.
What the council says
Councillor Ethan Brooks, the Cabinet Member for Environment, linked the scheme to the borough’s Sustainable September programme:
“Wandsworth has a lively ecosystem of residents, volunteers and community organisations championing a greener borough. The wide range of community-led events held during Sustainable September showed the enthusiasm, knowledge and creativity that local people bring to this work. We thank everyone who took part and continues to make a difference in their neighbourhood.
“The Greener Wandsworth Microgrants are designed to further stimulate creativity and community around this important issue and help turn residents’ good ideas into practical action, we look forward to seeing the great initiatives people come up with.”
What the money has paid for before
The council’s case studies page lists projects funded in 2024. A grant helped the Friends of Wandsworth Park run an Eco Fair on Wandsworth Common, paying for things like a generator for the tent, music and food stalls; the council says at least 1,000 visitors came and 40 exhibitors took part. The Paradise Cooperative used its grant to buy guttering, taps and fixings to collect rainwater from its sheds and polytunnels, work done by volunteers over its gardening sessions.
The council’s own suggestions include planting or rewilding a community space, a repair or reuse initiative, a sustainable street festival, a nature trail, or an art and photography session about the local environment.
What it means for you
Who can apply. Anyone living or working in the borough, as an individual, school, community group or non-profit. The council will fund no more than two applications a year from the same organisation for the same project, and if you already have a funded project you must finish it before applying again. Groups that have not been funded before get priority.
What you sign up to. According to the council page, successful applicants must:
- finish the project within six months of receiving the money
- let the council use photos or videos of the project (it says it will not publish names, locations or pictures of people without consent)
- fill in a short monitoring form afterwards, with help from the climate change team
You need any permissions for your site before you apply; for council land, the team says it can advise on whether an idea is feasible and help get permission. Events must keep waste to a minimum, and projects working with children or vulnerable adults without a parent or guardian present need DBS checks and someone with safeguarding training. The council suggests renting tools rather than buying them, for example from the Library of Things in the Southside Shopping Centre.
How to apply. Use the council’s online application form. You will need to upload a photo of a handwritten signature to confirm your bank details. The questions on the form are published in advance, so you can draft your answers first. The council says the more detail you give, the more local people you involve and the clearer you are about how the money will be spent, the better your chance.
If you need help with the form, or would rather send a spoken video application, email the climate change team at togetheronclimatechange@wandsworth.gov.uk.
A panel from the climate change team and other council departments meets every other month to decide. Unsuccessful applicants are told too, and the council says it will encourage them to try again if changes would improve their chances.
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